ISU coach Paul Rhoads wasn’t making excuses for his team’s lack of win production when he spoke of its injury concerns, but said that if his team can get healthy next year, he expects a return to the success he found early in his tenure at Iowa State.

Rhoads added that the veteran quality of the 2015 team will play a large factor in what is now only a potential resurgence.

“We’ve been right in the middle of a lot of close games and we’re trying to do the things necessary to put ourselves in position to win those tight games,” Rhoads said. “A healthy roster will go a long way in accomplishing that. We certainly will put a more experienced team on the field in 2015 and that will be led by a fifth-year quarterback [Sam Richardson].”